At 82 degrees F my specific gravity is 1.025. Salinity 36. I use a Pinpoint electronic monitor.

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Jim - GO HOGS GO!
Visit my NEW Reef Page -
http://razorbackfan.topcities.com

Thanks for the info.I am keeping my tank at 75.5 degrees with a 1023 specific gravity. Obviously, that is wrong. The article suggests a 77 degree temp with a specific gravity of 1026-1027. What do you keep your salinity and temp. at?
I really appreciate the info.
Thanks
Vic

I keep mine at 82 degrees at 35ppm, or 1.024

Ryan

I keep mine at 77 degrees and S.G. at 1.0245 ~kim

Thanks for the input. If I was going to move my sp. gravity to 1026 with a temp of 77-78dfh, how would I do it to avoid hurting the corals and the fish. Which should move first?
How long should I stretch the process out!
Thanks
Vic

VIC ~

Some recommended reading: http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a.../1/default.asp

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

VIC,

This is a area of controversy: http://www.reefs.org/library/article...mperature.html

But I am persuaded by the arguments that Dr. Ron puts forth in the above mentioned articles.

So my parameters are:

Specific Gravity: 1.026

Temperature: 82 degrees F +/- 0.5 degrees.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

ouch you think your doing alright keeping your tank at 76-77 degrees with a specific gravity of 1.0235 only to find out it should be much higher like 82 degrees and a specific of 1.026? Could this be why my xenia does so poorly?

TIA

Schottman

Schottman ~

Is it Red Sea xenia? If it is, the Red Sea has high salinity, 39-42ppt.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

Schottman,

Dr. Ron goes into this in greater detail in the above mentioned article.

But the bottom line is that hypo salinity (low salinity) is believed to be injurious to any animal that is dependent on osmotic regulation of it’s internal fluids. That pretty much covers everything. In fish this can take some time, perhaps years to manifest itself. Often this shows up as renal failure. In invertebrates, injury is more sudden. On a personal note, I have had much better luck with snails, hermit crab, and starfish mortality since I increased my specific gravity to 1.026

The temperature argument is more subtle, but the argument which I also agree with is that many of our corals come from waters that are in the low eighties and the highest species densities are also found in these waters. Dr. Ron refers to keeping them at 75 degrees as kind of putting them in metabolic suspended animation.

If you decide to increase your temperature and specific gravity, do so slowly, over the course of a couple of months or so.

Finally, It think Dr. Ron’s article is an important read.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

I have kept a salinity level of 1023 in my reef tank for about a year. Everybody is doing fine. Any benefit to raising it to 1024-1025?
Thanks
Vic

Maybe you meant Specific Gravity? Specific gravity is temp related. Natural sea water has a salinity of between 35-37 ppt. What temp do you keep your tank at by the way?

For a complete overview here's the article of Dr Ron. Table III shows the approximate salinity, in parts per thousand (ppt), for the hydrometer reading at the indicated temperature.

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1997/nov/features/1/default.asp


Gia



[This message has been edited by Baywatch Babe (edited 01-30-2001).]

The fact that we don't see a human population explosion at the south pole, is supported by the points of Dr. Rons article.

Thanks all for the friendly advice. I will work on adjusting both SG and Temp upwards to the correct lvls. I hope to find this reading interesting and to get it completed before i set up my new 100 !!

Schottman [img]/ubb/spineyes.gif[/img]

I need some guidance. I have a specific gravity of 1025 on one of my tanks with a temp of 76-77 dfh. I would like to get the sg up to 1026 and the temp up to 79-80dfh.
Can anyone give me a feel for the process of doing this? Should I move the temp a degree a week/month. Should I move the sgravity from 1025-1026 in a month?
I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks
Vic

VIC ~

My recommendation is that you shoot for a specific gravity of 1.025 at 81-degrees Fahrenheit which is approximately 36ppt salinity. Specific gravity is temperature dependent. SG of 1.025 at 75F is not the same salinity as SG of 1.025 at 81F. To further complicate matters, if you are using a hydrometer to measure specific gravity, you need to know whether it is calibrated at 59F like most lab hydrometers, or at 75F like some hobby hydrometers. Unless, of course, you are using a refractometer which is much more accurate.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

VIC,

Raising specific gravity just 0.001 can be safely accomplished in just one week. Many smaller tanks vary that much between fresh water top off intervals.

For the temperature increase, I would do this about a degree a month. This will give the various bacterial, faunal, and critter communities time to adjust.

One thing that you will find is that because of an overall increase in metabolism, your feeding regime will need to increase.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

Where can I get a good hydrometer (lab grade) or a refrator?
What do you use and what is the diff. between a hydrometer that is calibrated at 60 degrees and one that is calibrated at 77 degrees.
Thanks,
Vic

Spasse,
I am only feeding once a day now. As the temp increases will I have to go to at least 2x a day. I leave at 6:00 am for work, can I feed while the lights are off or should I feed 2x at night. (at 6:30 and 9:00pm). Would you recommend a good auto feeder and what prepared food to use in it. I normally do not like to use auto feeders as you basicly have to feed flake and most of it gets washed into your overflow. Any suggestions would help.
Vic

VIC ~

I got my refractometer here: http://www.northcoastmarines.com/octsav.htm
Only $85 (shipping included).

There are two different basic types of hydrometers: swing arm and floating. Neither is as accurate as a refractometer. "Lab grade" doesn't mean anything. "Lab" hydrometers are calibrated at 59-degrees F, whereas some hobby refractometers are calibrated at 75-degrees F. If the hydrometer is calibrated at 75F and your tank is at 75F, then the SG reading on your hydrometer doesn't have to be corrected with a conversion factor chart. If you use a regular hydrometer calibrated at 59F, you would have to correct the reading to arrive at a temperature corrected reading. Rob Toonen, of UC Davis, had his class take a couple dozen brand new hydrometers and test them. They got a couple dozen different readings.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!